The former India cricketer Zaheer Khan heaps praise on India team for the historic win against New Zealand in the five-match T20I series. For only the third time in the T20I cricket history of India, Virat Kohli & Co. defeated the hosts by whitewashing them on their soil.
From the victorious series opener in Auckland, the Men in Blue went on to take down the Black Caps by 5-0 in the T20I series.
While the Virat Kohli-led team had been spectacular to watch in every segment of the game, the two super over games added the charm to their spellbinding performance on Kiwis shores.
In the third game at Seddon Park in Hamilton, India bowler Mohammad Shami disturbed Ross Taylor’s stumps and the game went on to the super overs. Rohit Sharma’s power-packed two sixes came on the bowling of Tim Southee’s yorker to snatch the game from Kiwis.
Meanwhile, in the fourth game, the India skipper Kohli stole the game in the super over with his brilliant four, as once again Southee was at the receiving end.
Such a brilliant performance by the India team earned praise from around the world. The former ace pacer of India, Zaheer, too, hails India for their historic win.
However, after the clean sweep in the T20I series, Zaheer expects the Black Caps to make a comeback in the three-match ODI series and two-Test series ahead.
‘Expecting things to get better; 5-0 victory is a huge achievement,’ Zaheer Khan
Team India’s 2011 World Cup hero, Zaheer expects the hosts New Zealand players to bounce back in the game in the remainder of the series. After India’s historic win at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui, the former Indian pacer said that India had been great in every aspect of the game. He speculated that the New Zealand team was trying to find a way to break India’s rhythm.
Speaking to the media after India’s last match of the series, Zaheer said, “I am expecting things to get better. New Zealand were having a tough time, they tried to find answers to beat this Indian team. But I feel 5-0 victory is a huge achievement.”
Zaheer praised Kohli & his men for their historic win against New Zealand. Before this, India defeated the West Indies in 2019 while the first blank came in 2016 versus Australia.
Termed as the second-most successful pacer in Test cricket, the Southpaw said the Men in Blue should be proud of what they’ve done in New Zealand. He suggested the team to maintain the momentum in the upcoming ODI and Test series.
“They should take a lot of pride from what they have done from the New Zealand. It is definitely going to be a tough (ODI) series for New Zealand.
“For India, it is about maintaining that momentum and carrying the confidence from the previous series win to the ODI and test matches,” he said.
After the glorious five-match T20I series, India will be going head-on against New Zealand in the three-match limited-overs game followed by a two-match Test series. The ODI will commence from 5th February, ending on 11th Feb.
Meanwhile, the first Test of the series will take place on Feb 21, after the three-day practice match.